Rainy Day Man
The Sequel to "Traces"
Hi y'all! If you haven't read Traces, I really suggest you do because this won't make much sense if you haven't read it. Also, this is only the first part. I've been busy with this project for school and haven't been able to work on any of my fics for a while, so I figured I might as well get this out. Usual disclaimer applies (I don't own Dragonball/Z/GT, or the song "Rainy Day Man" and I'm certainly not making any money from this). That done with, on with the story!
When I think about the first time,
I thought I found someone who cared for me,
But things were not as they appeared to be.
**1 month after Bra's funeral**
Pan enjoyed the feel of the cool air on her face as she flew towards Capsule Corp. Trunks had called her and invite her to spar with him this afternoon. He had really drowned himself in his work lately, and Pan hadn't seen him much, although he had taken to calling her nearly every evening just to talk.
He was taking it pretty hard, she'd have to be strong for him. Even though she hurt too, she needed to be there for him the way he'd been there for her...
*2 years earlier*
Pan ran down the streets, not caring where she headed.
She couldn't believe what she'd just seen. She'd been taking an evening walk in the park, and there, on a bench, her boyfriend... well, now *former* boyfriend...was practically making out with some other girl.
She should have confronted him, but she hadn't. It wasn't that she was extremely jealous, it was more that she felt hurt that he hadn't told her.
Pan slowed, and entered a little all-night coffee shop. As she sat there staring into a soon cold cup of coffee, she realized that although she loved Alan, it wasn't the all-consuming, can't-think-of-anything-but-you love she had dreamt of. Pan loved Alan more as a friend, and they were *good* friends, they talked all the time. Which is why it hurt that he hadn't told her that he'd found another girlfriend.
Rainy Day Man
On your shoulder I cried
When my first brush with love
Left me shaking inside
Rainy Day Man
The bell above the door rung as someone entered. Pan looked up briefly, and was caught by eyes she had never expected to show up this lonely night.
"Pan-chan."
"Trunks-kun," she tried to wipe the tear stains from her face, "What-what are you doing here?"
He sat down next to her in the booth, concern etched on his face, and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket. Trunks began to wipe away her tears.
When her face was dry, he cupped her face in his hand and gently asked her, "What's the matter, Pan-chan?"
Pan felt new tears forming in her eyes. She felt the *rightness* of him being there with her. Everything that had been lacking in her relationship with Alan, was embodied in those blue eyes in front of her. And all her hopes of ever being with Trunks were dashed with his next words:
"You can tell me, Pan-neechan."
'Neechan. That's all he thought of her. A younger sister, and no more.
Still, he was here now.
So she told him everything. How she'd come across her boyfriend in the park, how it'd hurt and why.
He listened quietly to her story, and when she was done, enveloped her in his embrace, and she cried into his chest, know that he'd probably never hold her like that again.
*Present*
Pan landed in the Brief's front yard, and Trunks came out the door immediately, and gave her a little grin.
"Oh, good, you're here."
She smiled at him. He looked better, while there were still black circles under his eyes, at least he smiled, those had been extremely rare these last few weeks.
"Well, let's get going," she said.
They entered the gravity room and Trunks set it to a comfortable 100 G's.
They began their spar. Pan tried to keep mostly on the defensive to try and draw Trunks out, and to stay just out of his reach. This didn't always work, but it worked well enough for a little over half an hour. Trunks then powered up a fraction and came at her with a punch intended for her jaw, but for some reason he slowed, and she blocked, knocking him to the ground.
He didn't get up.
'Oh, Kami! I didn't hit him that hard!' Pan thought. She knew instinctively that he wasn't faking, that something was seriously wrong for him to go down only half an hour into a casual spar.
Pan was instantly at Trunks' side.
"Trunks-kun, what's wrong?"
Trunks clutched his stomach and looked at her with pain-filled eyes.
Pan tried to help him sit-up properly. He was burning hot.
"Trunks how long have you had this fever?"
"It came suddenly, just a moment ago," he croaked.
*****
Trunks closed his eyes and shivered. The room was freezing and his middle *hurt*. And he was thirsty. He felt like his body was a desert baking under the sun, but the room was cold.
He felt something wet against his lips, and opened his eyes. Water. Pan was holding a glass of water to his lips. He drank eagerly.
"We need to get you in bed," she said, "Do you think you can stand?"
He nodded. She put his arm over her shoulders and helped him stand.
Trunks swayed and shut his eyes tight, "Gods, Pan, make the room stop spinning."
Pan practically carried Trunks out of the gravity room.
*****
She got him to the infirmary and set the robots to checking Trunks, while she called Bulma on the intercom.
"Bulma! Trunks collapsed while we were sparring!"
"That isn't too unusual, is it?" Bulma's voice was tired.
"But he has a fever and he's dizzy..."
"I'll be right over."
"We're at the infirmary," she called, hoping Bulma heard.
Trunks hoarsely called for her, "Pan, please don't leave. I don't want to be alone...I don't want to die like Bra..."
Pan sat down on the bed he was laying on, "It's alright, I won't leave you. You're *not* going to die."
*****
Bulma rushed into the infirmary. If not for the serious situation, it would have been sweet. Trunks was on the infirmary bed, and Pan was sitting next to him, holding his hand.
Bulma cleared her throat, and smiled a little, her smiles were even more rare than Trunks'.
Pan stood up and meant to go over to Bulma, but Trunks refused to let go her hand.
"Don't leave..."
Bulma caught the desperate glance Pan sent her. Pan lightly touched Trunks'hand that held her other. Bulma first went to check what the robots had found. All thoughts quickly fled her.
'Oh, Kami-sama! It's the virus!'
"First Bra, now Trunks," she whispered and wiped a few tears from her eye.
She turned back to see Pan and Trunks talking quietly.
*****
Bulma glided over and took Trunks' other hand.
"How do you feel?"
"I'm fine," he winced, "I'm just tired."
Pan glared at him, "His fever has gone up a few degrees since I got him here, and he's had abdominal pains periodically."
Bulma smiled down at her son, "I'll get you something for the fever and pain."
Vegeta chose that moment to walk in.
"Why are you two onnas groveling around the brat, as if he couldn't lift a finger?"
Bulma glared at him and Trunks gripped Pan's hand tighter when she tried to withdraw.
"Well?" he arched an eyebrow.
His mate went to go ready the medicine she'd promised her son and dragged Vegeta along with her.
"Don't you have the least bit of tact?" she hissed at her husband.
Vegeta snorted and focused on his son's ki...
And blinked in suprise. There was something very *wrong* with him.
Bulma continued as she measured out medicine into two syringes, "You'd think that even an insensitive, black-hearted blockhead like you could tell his own son is sick."
"Saiyajin done get 'sick'," he sputtered.
"He's *half*-saiyajin, remember?..." she continued more quietly as she turned around, "It's the virus."
Vegeta growled, he now recognized the wrongness he sensed in Trunks' ki.
"No!" he barked sharply, refusing to admit it, "He's fine. Boy! Come here!"
Trunks tried to obey his father's command, sweat stood out on his brow, and he fell back gasping.
Vegeta let out an inarticulate roar, and stormed out of the room.
Bulma sighed and turned back to her son and Pan.
*****
Vegeta flew to a lonely mountain halfway across the planet, which he frequented when he needed time to meditate. This was one of those times.
His precious little princess was dead, and now his heir was dying.
Some stupid disease was killing the heir to the Saiyajin Empire!
'How ironic that the children of the strongest being in the universe should die of a microscopic virus,' he thought.
Vegeta laughed, it really was ironic, but his laugh sounded as that of a madman: hollow and hysterical; and soon the laugh turned to sobs.
*****
Bulma left the infirmary after giving Trunks the medicine.
'I'd better call Gohan and Videl and tell them that Pan's likely to be here for a while,' she thought.
She went to the kitchen to use the vidphone there, and dialed the Son's number.
ChiChi answered, "Oh, hello Bulma."
"ChiChi, would you mind getting Gohan or Videl?"
"Just a second," ChiChi turned from the vidphone, then scurried to go find her son and daughter-in-law. She returned with both of Pan's parents in tow.
"Good, you're all here," 'Yikes! I sound exhausted in my own ears, I must be pretty bad,' "I've got some bad news."
"Its not Pan, is it? She's alright, isn't she?" Videl interjected.
"No, no. Pan's fine, but Trunks...came down with the virus."
There was a loud intake of breath at the Son's.
She continued, "I think Pan is going to stay here for a while."
"Wouldn't it be safer for her if she stayed at home? Away from the virus?" Chichi asked.
Bulma shook her head, "I don't think it would make much difference now," she let out a dry chuckle, "Besides, I don't think Trunks would let her leave."
Gohan raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?" Videl asked.
Bulma just shook her head.
"Gohan, would you help me, again, to try to find the cure?"
Gohan nodded, "I'll be right over."
*****
Ever since I can remember,
Just like a brother, you've been strong and true,
Always been the one to see me through.
Pan was hunched forward in the chair next to Trunks' bed, still holding his hand. The medicine Bulma had given him had knocked him out. So while her father and Bulma worked in the lab, it was her job to watch over Trunks.
Seeing him sleeping there made him look so vulnerable, so unlike the man who had save her and stood up for her on so many occassions.